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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · rush · cell · foot · band · fall · club · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rush — hurry
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. root — the cause
  7. fall — the season
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cell — in biology
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. club — for golf
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. root — of a word
  19. club — a group
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fall — to drop
  24. band — a ring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com